Ghent: Private Chocolate Tour with Tastings & Local Guide

Summary

Explore Ghent’s chocolate scene with tastings and stories

You’ll taste at least nine different chocolates in Ghent’s city center, meet local artisans in their ateliers, hear quirky legends from your guide, and wander historic streets between stops. Expect laughter over mispronounced treats and moments where the smell of cocoa lingers long after you leave — it’s more than just a day trip for your sweet tooth.

What’s the experience like?

Someone hands me a tiny square of dark chocolate before I even realize we’ve started — it’s got this faint orange scent, like the peel you get in winter markets. Our guide, Charlie (who grew up here), grins and tells us to let it melt slowly. I try but end up biting anyway. The shop smells like roasted cocoa and something floral I can’t name. There’s a woman behind the counter who nods when I ask if she made these herself — “Every morning,” she says, and her hands are dusted with cocoa powder.

We wander through Ghent’s old streets, stopping at places that don’t look fancy from the outside but have awards tucked into their windows. At one spot, we peek into an atelier where two guys are pouring glossy chocolate into molds — they wave us in for a closer look. It’s loud with laughter and clinking trays. Charlie tells us about how pralines became a thing here (I didn’t know Belgium had so many kinds), and there’s this story about a lost recipe that he swears is true. I’m not sure if it is, but I like how he tells it.

I lose count after the sixth tasting — there was one filled with hazelnut cream that nearly made me forget to listen to the next bit of history. Someone in our group tries to pronounce “neuzeke” (those little cone candies) and gets it all wrong; everyone laughs, including the chocolatier. The weather outside keeps shifting between drizzle and sun, so sometimes we’re huddled under awnings nibbling sweets, sometimes just wandering open squares with sticky fingers.

By the end, my bag is full of wrappers and my head is spinning a little from sugar and stories. There’s something about seeing these places with someone who knows every shortcut and legend — makes Ghent feel smaller, warmer somehow. I still think about that first bite of orange chocolate whenever I walk past a bakery now.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Chocolate Tasting and Atelier Visit

• Visit top chocolatier in Ghent
• Taste local pralines
• Explore chocolatier's atelier
• Meet passionate artisans

Top questions

How many chocolate tastings are included on the tour?

The tour includes at least 9 different chocolate tastings.

Is there a local guide during the private chocolate tour?

Yes, a local entertaining guide leads the tour throughout Ghent.

Where does the chocolate tour take place?

The tour takes place in Ghent city center.

Are public transportation options available nearby?

Yes, public transportation options are available near the meeting point.

Are service animals allowed on this tour?

Yes, service animals are allowed during the tour.

Is this private chocolate tour suitable for all fitness levels?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.

What’s included

Your day includes guided visits to several top chocolatiers in Ghent city center with at least nine different local chocolates and sweets to taste along the way — all led by an entertaining local guide who shares stories as you go.